TORONTO – As the lock, out at the WSIB approaches it’s second week, the WSIB management are dragging their heels on issuing a pass. The OCEU bargaining team issued a complete pass back to the employer on June 1st but have yet to receive a fulsome response.
“It’s like they aren’t taking the strike seriously,” said Harry Goslin, President of OCEU/CUPE 1750. “Our members are out on the picket lines because they are over worked and feel disrespected by the employer, and these delay tactics are just a manifestation of that disrespect.”
“The employer made the union wait four days for a pass last week,” added Nicole Francis, OCEU/CUPE 1750’s chief steward. “Their lack of meaningful engagement in this process is deeply frustrating.”
The union is hoping to get a meaningful solution to the workload problem which is causing elevated rates of burnout and mental health leaves among their members, as well as a deal that will allow the members to catch up to the spending power they had before Bill C-124 froze their wages.
“We have been told the treasury board is telling the employer not to offer us a fair wage deal,” said Goslin. “Seeing as the WSIB isn’t taxpayer funded, we’re not sure why the treasury board is involved at all.”
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For more information, please contact:
Bill Chalupiak
CUPE Communications Representative
416-707-1401
mb/cope491
